Rafael dos Anjos defeats Anthony Pettis by unanimous decision to win the UFC’s lightweight championship, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk scores a second-round knockout over Carla Esparza to take the women’s strawweight title.
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Anthony Pettis will defend his lightweight championship against Rafael dos Anjos on Saturday in the main event of UFC 185 in Dallas. Pettis, who has battled injuries throughout his career, has won nine of his past 10 fights.
The main event of UFC 185 matches lightweight champion Anthony Pettis against Rafael dos Anjos. Pettis has stopped four straight opponents in the first or second round and might be the most explosive athlete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Carla Esparza, an accomplished wrestler, became the UFC’s female strawweight champion in December. But challenger Joanna Jedrzejczyk plans to stay on her feet Saturday and take Esparza’s title at UFC 185 in Dallas.
A middleweight bout between Uriah Hall and Rafael Natal has been added to the UFC 187 lineup, the organization announced Thursday.
Former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar was in Los Angeles and seated just behind UFC executives Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta to watch Ronda Rousey defeat Cat Zingano in 14 seconds. “Apparently Brock Lesnar is a UFC fan, and he was in town and wanted to come see the fight,” White said.
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey once again proved there’s not a 135-pound female fighter in the world anywhere close to her level.
There may not be a great strategy for dealing with UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey in the cage. Cat Zingano’s plan of attack in the main event of UFC 184 at Staples Center on Saturday night certainly wasn’t the answer.
A breakdown of the fights on the main card of UFC 184 today at Staples Center in Los Angeles:
LOS ANGELES — Of all the things women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has accomplished during her short time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, tonight’s event might represent her most implausible achievement.
Cat Zingano has been loose and relaxed leading up to her fight against women’s bantamweight champion Rhonda Rousey in the main event of UFC 184 at Staples Center on Saturday night.
Las Vegan Frank Mir knew a win over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva could set up a third match with former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. But Mir had other worries. “It was like, ‘Man, I need to win this to keep my job, or my wife is not going to let me go to the gym any more.’
Ultimate Fighting Championship executives laid out plans Wednesday to deal with a recent wave of positive drug tests in the organization. The UFC will advocate athletic commissions to increase penalties, expand funding for out-of-competition testing and implement random testing for all 585 athletes on the company’s roster.
Three prominent Ultimate Fighting Championship competitors who failed drug tests were placed on temporary suspension during a Nevada Athletic Commission meeting Tuesday.
Benson Henderson, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion, was insistent his move to welterweight was a temporary one to do a favor for his bosses when a replacement opponent was needed for a main event bout against Brandon Thatch on Saturday.